Saturday, May 19, 2007

let the games begin!

Oh how I love the Regent Square neighborhood yard sale! It's like a whole season of sales in one glorious morning.

I scored the usual motherlode of kids' clothes and toys. This year I am thinking small since I am trying to assemble a portable bag of amusements for an upcoming long, long journey. I got plenty of new-to-Iris books, little toys and whatnot from the 25 cent jumble boxes, and this, which was just sitting there like it knew I was coming:

It even packs a kid-size backpack. I do realize I will end up pulling it half the time (or more), but Iris' pleasure at having her very own luggage makes it worth it. Oh, and the Yellow Submarine lunchbox? Free! (Michael the somewhat-larger-than-life-size stuffed cat featured for scale purposes only. )

I have a weakness for chickens – maybe because that is my Chinese zodiac year, maybe just because I have a weakness for chickens. Anyway, I was happy to find these little made-in-Japan beauties for $1 at a sale which was otherwise priced more like a savvy vintage shop. I passed up a $17.50 tablecloth and $45 – that's right, 4 tens and a five! – for a toy horse I had when I was a kid and for which I doubt my parents paid more than a Lincoln. Excuse me, ma'am, but I think you may be a little unclear on the concept of "yard sale."

On the vintage fabric front, I found this heavy cotton which I did not even unfold all the way before buying.

So it was not until I got it home that I realized it is actually a nicely handmade curtain (circa 1976, according to the selvedge) that not only happens to have the color of my bedroom walls in it, but will be a perfect fit for my bedroom window.

I also got some vintage towels. I am trying for a little collection of these but for some reason, as Iris would say, they are harder to find than it seems like they should be.

And if you had asked me, "Do you ever find jewelry you like at yard sales?" I would have said "No," but then I found this, which I truly love: